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View Full Version : The War on Rust!


Wiscon_Mark
06-25-2007, 04:37 PM
As many of you know, the first and most obvious rust spot on most cars is on the rear quarterpanel, right where the bumper meets the sheetmetal. This usually only occurs on cars in the salt belt (northeast, midwest) that see action during the winter. My Subaru has seen 12 winters, and started showing signs of this cancer started 2 years ago. This year, I finally got the courage to tackle the rust, and I wish I'd done so sooner. This is a picture of it a year ago:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2006/05/DriverFender41406-1.jpg

This is a picture of it a couple days ago, with a bunch of the rust punched out:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers1-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers2-1.jpg

Now I try to fix this mess:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers4-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers5-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers6-1.jpg

Oh yeah, the other side was just as bad:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Passengers1-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Passengers2-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Passengers3-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Passengers4-1.jpg

And the finished products:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers7-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Drivers8-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Passengers5-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/Passengers6-1.jpg

I have to order paint to finish the job, but I'm already very satisfied with how it cleaned up. On the driver's side (1st set of photos) I had to completely punch out the bottom of the hole because there was very little usable metal left.

But I discovered more rust under that little plastic plate on the other side of the wheel well...advice to those who haven't had rust issues yet: remove it for god's sake. Fill in the holes and try to stop stuff getting in there.
Huffer
06-25-2007, 05:44 PM
I am all too aware of this... you did a good job all things considered.

At least you didn't have to deal with a structural part like the roof! :cry:
Wiscon_Mark
06-25-2007, 05:45 PM
Yeah, if it was the roof, I would've probably given up :-(
StatGSR
06-25-2007, 07:31 PM
well done, i'll be doin that in the next couple weeks, not very excited tho...
Reason
06-25-2007, 07:50 PM
It's about time! Looks good, bodywork is so easy, just tedious.
warrior
06-25-2007, 10:20 PM
I got some of this stuff for pretty cheap. It's a rust inhibitor and stops rust! I would have painted this first and then finished it up.

www.rustbullet.com (http://www.rustbullet.com)
Huffer
06-25-2007, 10:37 PM
Yeah, if it was the roof, I would've probably given up :-(

Like this? :lol:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/04/051210_RustunderWindscreen15-1.jpg

it got better though:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/06/060110_WindscreenRust6-1.jpg

2 years and 2 winters, stored outside, still solid!
Wiscon_Mark
06-25-2007, 11:34 PM
Oh, yeah, I sprayed a bunch of anti-rust formula stuff in the cracks and areas around my patching.

For filler I used a Liquid metal with a mesh body patch. It works a lot nicer than bondo.
Piddster
06-26-2007, 04:06 AM
I've got some serious work to do on my rear quarters as well, and I'm not looking forward to it. I'll be welding in sheetmetal though, so even more fun.
Sarra
06-26-2007, 04:18 AM
Yeah, I agree, it looks REALLY good compared to before.

Glad I got rid of my BE, I would have had more problems with rust than you did (the entire door was rusting away, from the inside out).

More pics when you get it painted?
Wiscon_Mark
06-26-2007, 08:49 AM
More pics when you get it painted?

Of course! I'm eager to get some paint.
Tazmaniandevil
06-26-2007, 10:16 AM
I'm in the middle of the process too. Our roads are salted, and you have to catch the rust as soon as possible. Unfortunately the last owner didn't bother.
It was the front end which was worst cosmetically on mine, at the rear side of the wheel arches just above the mud-flaps - rusted right through.
I have to work outside, so I rely on the weather being nice to be able to do anything.
LeggoMyLeggy
06-26-2007, 09:49 PM
Looks good Mark. Now you can drive around town offering to do bodywork on the spot like some gypsies in NYC do. Seriously, it looks good. That's one thing I don't miss from the East, the snow and the salt.

/Leggo
dodik
06-27-2007, 08:10 AM
Looks good Mark. Now you can drive around town offering to do bodywork on the spot like some gypsies in NYC do.

/Leggo

WTF where did you get that???
Reason
06-27-2007, 12:32 PM
Looks good Mark. Now you can drive around town offering to do bodywork on the spot like some gypsies in NYC do. Seriously, it looks good. That's one thing I don't miss from the East, the snow and the salt.

/Leggo

LOL thats great, we have Mexicans that do that. My whole drivers side was smashed up for about 2 years and I can honestly say that more than a dozen mexicanos asked me if I needed bodywork done lol.
Bdubs
06-27-2007, 10:08 PM
Only body rust which is appearing slowly is on the very bottom of the rear driver's side door. And a small spot on the gas door which it appears sand/salt can get in there, and its finally eaten through. Not sure why the door is rotting where it is, the usual cancer spot is in good shape.
LeggoMyLeggy
06-27-2007, 10:13 PM
Looks good Mark. Now you can drive around town offering to do bodywork on the spot like some gypsies in NYC do.

/Leggo

WTF where did you get that???

I grew up in the Bronx and in the 80s there were a bunch of folks who would go around doing this. That may not be the case these days from what you are saying.

/Leggo
Tazmaniandevil
07-10-2007, 11:27 AM
I had to do a small amount of welding inside the rear wheel arches last year to get my wagon through our dreaded MOT (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/index.htm) test.
At the test, the chap pointed out a couple of plates attached to the rear crossmember which were quite swollen. He had never seen these plates before, and neither had I. I asked around a few Lego owners, and nobody new what these plates were.
I decided I would remove the plates, and have a local blacksmith make some replacements. When I got the car up in the air however the 'plates' had all but rusted away.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l150/tazmaniandevil_1503/uklegacy/Car/Crossmember/Close-up1.jpg
I soon realised these were actually part of the crossmember - some kind of stiffening. So the crossmember was replaced this weekend, the replacement coming from a '98 Impreza.
Once the old one was off the car I could see just how bad it was. I gave it a light tap with a claw hammer to get some of the loose bits off, and the hammer went right through.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l150/tazmaniandevil_1503/uklegacy/Car/Crossmember/PIC_0009.jpg
Now that is scary.